Coroner: Human skeletal remains found on Pasadena hillside belonged to young man, rusted shotgun found nearby

Skeletal remains found last month by a work crew clearing brush along a Pasadena hillside are believed to be those of a young man, coroner’s officials said Friday.

The identity of the man whose remains were found May 22 along Linda Vista Avenue, just south of Fern Drive, remained a mystery, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said. He was listed at the coroner’s office as John Doe 145.

Following examination of the skeleton by an anthropologist, “He’s believed to be a male Hispanic, 18 to 25, 5 feet 8 inches or so tall,” Winter said.

An official cause of death had not been determined, Harvey said.

But investigators did note some clues regarding how the man may have died.

A rusted shotgun was recovered from the same portion of the hillside as the skeletal remains, Harvey said.

The skull appeared to have been shattered, as if from a gunshot, he said. “The skull shows the effects of what appears to be a firearm discharge.”

A wallet was found among the bones, but it contained no identification, Harvey said. It did contain $22 in cash, a lighter and several receipts. Further details regarding the receipts were not available.

The bones were already partially bleached when discovered by a Caltrans crew clearing brush from the hillside shortly after 1 p.m. May 22, according to coroner’s and Pasadena police officials.

They had been scattered over a 75-foot-diameter area of the hillside by animal activity, and possibly by the work crew as they cleared brush prior to discovering the remains, Harvey said.

It was not clear exactly how long the bones had been there prior to being found, Harvey said, however investigators noted the same hillside was cleared by workers one year prior.

The remains were found on a hillside just north of the Arroyo Seco, which officials and nearby residents said is a popular camping spot for transients.